Klang River is a river which
flows through
Kuala Lumpur and
Selangor in
Malaysia and eventually
flows into the
Straits of Malacca. It is
approximately 120 km in length
and drains a basin of about 1288
square kilometres. Klang River
has 11 major tributaries.

Given the fact that the river
flows through
Klang Valley which is a
heavily populated area of more
than four million people, it is
considerably polluted. Heavy
development has narrowed certain
stretches of the river until it
resembles a large storm drain.
This contributes to
flash floods in Kuala
Lumpur, especially after heavy
rain.

The Emporium...Just
cross the Jambatan Kota bridge from taman
pangkalan batu, you will arrive to Klang
City Square. Below the building is an
emporium formerly known as Emporium Makan,
where you can have some food like Lontong
Klang.

Sultan Sulaiman Mosque
- Situated along
Jalan Raya Timur in Port Klang.It is a former
state mosque. It is a very unique and pictureque
mosque.Raja Mahadi Fort -
Situated near Kota Bridge on the bank of Klang
River in Port Klang.The
remains of the fort entrance and some bunkers
can be found here at the compound of the Klang
Town Council.

Medan Ikan Bakar
- Situated at Esplanade
facing the Straits of Klang in Port Klang.A
place must visit by seafood lovers. Here one can
find all kinds of delicious and fresh seafood,
grilled, or cooked. Open-air food stalls and
dining while viewing the scenary of the Klang
Straits. See below for details.

The Little
India enclave
along Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang is the biggest
Indian street in Malaysia. Fierce competition among
shop owners translate into cheaper prices for
consumers, and people are literally spoilt for
choice amidst the rows of shops on the left and
right sides of the road, with stalls spilling onto
the sidewalks and backlanes. Myriads of items such
as saris, colorful accessories such as bangles and
necklaces, textiles, stainless steel pots, Indian
delicacies, gold and flowers are sold here.

During Deepavali, the street is
transformed into a colorful spectacle of light and
sound befitting the "festival of light". Most shop
owners pool their resources together to decorate the
street and the walkways of their shops. The street
will be decorated weeks before the actual festival.
The atmosphere is eletrifying and traffic will be
clogged up as thousands of people make their way
from as far as Singapore to make their purchases.
Some shop owners will also invite shoppers into
their shops to sample delicacies and to celebrate
the festival together.

It is easy to be caught up in the
throngs of people walking in the narrow walkways,
but a little awareness and precaution should be
practiced for your own safety. Police patrol the
street during the festive season to avoid unwanted
incidents and to control traffic flow. Moreover, the
Klang main police headquarters is just a stone's
throw away from the street. So this area is quite
safe for tourists.

Parking in this area is very
limited, so it is advisable to take public transport
to Little India. The bus station is located at the
beginning (or the end to some people) of the street.
Take the Metrobus from
the junction facing Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur, This
bus goes all the way to the Klang bus station.
Alternatively, you can take the train from KL
Sentral and alight at Klang station. Indian Street
is only ten minutes away from the train station.

Istana Alam Shah is
the
Sultan of Selangor's official palace. It is from here
that His Royal Highness carries out his official duties as
Sultan and ceremonies involving the Selangor royalty are
held here. The palace is located in the south of the royal
town of
Klang,
Malaysia.

Located at the new and rapidly growing Southern Corridor of
Klang, the township is equipped with good
infrastructure and easy access to the Port Klang and
West Port. In fact, Bandar Bukit Tinggi is now a
magnet for much of Klang’s business activities. With
the proximity of major highways such as the Kuala
Lumpur-Shah Alam (KESAS) Expressway and New Klang
Valley Expressway (NKVE), this thriving development
enjoys good accessibility to Shah Alam, Petaling
Jaya Kuala Lumpur and other major hubs along the
NKVE.

This township counts among its neighbours Bandar
Botanic, Glenmarie Cove and Bandar Puteri Klang.
With more than 100 food outlets (and counting!) of
all kinds already open here, Bandar Bukit Tinggi is
also making a name for itself as a culinary haven.
Current offerings include everything from the
unassuming mamak and hawker stalls to bak kut teh,
steamboat, Kajang satay, Western, Asian, fast food
and vegetarian restaurants.

Klang is
located about 32km to the west of Kuala Lumpur. It was
established in 1643 and granted its municipal status on 1st
January 1977. According to Wikipedia, the population of
Klang was 1.2 Mil in 2014. It was the capital of
Selangor between 1974 and 1977 when Kuala Lumpur became a
Federal Territory and before Shah Alam was made the capital
of Selangor.

View of Klang Town (2008)

Traffic in Klang Town in 2008.

Klang has
its own international standard port -
Northport, and
Westport, which is among the busiest seaports in the
world.

Northport, Port Klang, Malaysia

NORTHPORT

Northport at Port Klang, operated by Northport (Malaysia)
Bhd, is a multipurpose Malaysian gateway port (offering 5 km
of quayline) located strategically mid-way on the west
coast of Peninsular Malaysia overlooking the Straits of
Malacca. Northport is Malaysia's largest operator of
multi-purpose port, handling 60% of the nation's trade. It
is also Malaysia's pioneer port bringing along with it 103
years of rich heritage in port dynamics.

Westport, Port Klang, Malaysia

WESTPORT

Over the
last decade, Westports Malaysia has grown by leaps and
bounds to become one of the leading ports in the region. It
promotes itself as a garden port where it attracts visitors
and newlyweds to have their photographs taken in the
beautifully landscaped port vicinity.

SEAFOOD & "IKAN BAKAR"

Klang is
well-known for its sea food. When you came to Klang, don't
miss to have dinner at "Muara ikan bakar" at Tanjung Harapan,
Port Klang.

View at
Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang

This
seafood heaven is located at Tanjung Harapan, formerly known
as the Esplanade. It is close to North Port and about 15
minutes’ drive from Shah Alam. You will find a number of
popular restaurants specialising in the ocean’s harvest
here.

Northport is just behind the Muara Ikan Bakar seafood
restaurants.

Muara
Ikan Bakar, Tanjung Harapan, Port Klang

Most
locals head out to the Bagan Hailam area for good and
relatively cheap (for the Klang Valley standard) seafood.
Restaurants line the road and most are built on stilts over
water. Other areas famous for seafood include Pandamaran and
Teluk Gong, both south of Port Klang.

HISTORY OF KLANG

Previously, in Klang there was plenty of tin to be had (at
Gombak and Ampang area). And the opportunists moved in. Tin
had been mined by the Malays for centuries.

The
Chinese miners are welcome to Klang by the .

The Chinese later introduced more efficient techniques to
tin mining. And the British supported the industry
relentlessly to feed the voracious needs of its Industrial
Revolution.

Klang and the Tin

As all other places where tin was found, Klang flourished.
Infrastructure sprouted and roads were built. Britain
invested benevolently and wisely. The excavated tin must
find their way to the ports en route to Great Britain.

Klang in
1870

Meanwhile, tension amongst the locals brewed and seethed.
Two local chieftains of Klang,Raja Abdullah and
Raja Mahadi, fought for supremacy over the tin trade.
Their Chinese allies backing them strongly. It was no
surprise that Civil war erupted in 1867. It was unavoidable.
For seven years, Malay soldiers wielding Kris and spears
fought alongside their Chinese counterparts armed with their
long menacing swords. Onslaught after onslaught assaulted
and dominated besieged forts.

Raja Mahadi Fort

One of the forts still stands; Kota Raja Mahadi was the
stronghold of Raja Mahadi . Sadly today, all that remain to
be seen are the main gate and the earthen ramparts. And that
is if you can find it. After a lapse of an industrious
century, development and tropical weeds and creepers
brutally camouflage its pitiful existence.

Raja
Mahadi Fort was built on top of a hill near the Klang river
and. You can see Gedung Raja Abdullah from here.

The two warring sides called in aid from outsiders. The loss
proved to be truly theirs. The year following the end of the
Civil War, a British Resident was appointed to oversee
matters in Klang, inevitably putting a stop to the era of
the Malay chieftains' control over the proceeds of tin.

The Gedung Raja Abdullah is about the only historical
structure that is still standing. In its heyday, Raja
Abdullah reigned on the top floor of the building where he
also housed his family. On the ground floor, sprawled his
warehouse where he safely stashed all his tin in.

Raja
Abdullah built a warehouse pr called 'gedung'

A few hundred yards away lies the Klang River, a most
convenient highway to transport this highly valuable raw
material. It is, therefore, unfortunate that the building
only has a short-lived moment of honour. It is doomed to a
tragic fate of suffering many unkind experiences since then.
When the Civil War broke out, Gedung Raja Abdullah was
abandoned. His landlord deserted him, retreating to Melaka
on his paddle steamer. When peace was once again restored,
Gedung Raja Abdullah barracked the district Police
Headquarters for a hundred years. Worn out and worn down, it
was almost scheduled to be demolished when the Heritage of
Malaysia Trust stepped in and saved it.

Gedung Raja Abdullah Today

Today, Gedung Raja Abdullah proudly shelters the Klang Tin
Museum, a structure deserving the honour to recount the past
history of the once coveted tin.

As of 1st May 2004, Gedung Raja Abdullah had been
closed for renovations. No date of reopening was stipulated
on the notice board.

A delightfully informative museum. You can simply wander in
and immerse into the realm of days long gone. The exhibition
on tin mining is superb and truly educational. Spend some
time there and learn about things you would never have
guessed. You will find unexpected gems and trivia. For
instance, the first Europeans to soil their hands in tin in
Malaya were actually the French!!

Alas!! A wretched cloud of unhappiness still hangs over
Gedung Raja Abdullah. This oldest surviving building in
Selangor now only manages to meekly prop itself in between
some hideous looking architecture. Flanked on its right are
tall pink buildings obstructing Raja Abdullah's view of his
beloved steam paddler mooring by the river. All lined up
along the frontage are beaten up cars, vehicles burnt down
to rust, confiscated cars that owners have preferred to
forget. To forget is the choice that the people of Klang has
made, relinquishing the glory of its golden era. Its rich
history rusting away in the abyss of these misshapen burnt
automobiles.

Indeed, if you look at Klang today it is hard to imagine
that this was a place where a civil war erupted, dividing
families and clans. For seven long years embroiled anarchy
festered and fed on the insatiable lust of two men desiring
to be King of Tin. No longer are there traces of wealthy
chieftains rolling around in tin derived riches, their
paddle steamers docking impatiently awaiting the orders to
chug down the yellow river to their designated destination.
History and all the grandeur of affluence satisfied from tin
is buried, long dead and gone, deep underneath the
monstrosity of modern structures. Neglected evidence of
Civil War and rivalry eroded away into the clutter
coordinated town planning.

Some of the 'White Building", British colonial architecture
in Klang

All is not lost for Klang, though. Cruise along the old side
of Klang where lies the Municipal Council and other
whitewashed government offices. Steal into the quiet lanes
that divide these old colonial buildings. Tall lush trees
file erect and magnificent, complementing and making whole
the scene before you. Breath in and you will almost forget
the chaotic medley and mishmash cacophony of colours, sound
and agenda of Klang town.

Jalan Stesen
is a popular places in Klang.

The Culture

If you have the time, venture into Jalan Stesen. There you
will find food stalls for many races in Malaysia -a mamak
stall, a little kopitiam, and a Chinese café. Here also you
can see many Bak Kut Teh shops, for the Chinese. The
Muslims/Malay prefer to eat at India-Muslims, mamak or Malay
restaurants.

"Restoran Bismillah' at Jalan Stesen Klang is a Muslim
restaurant, a good place to relax in the morning or evening.
Located opposite to Klang Railway Station, you can see three
main races here.

It is also here that the three main races of Malaysia mingle
indiscriminately. An elderly Chinese bloke roosting crosslegged on his chair sharing a joke with a religious
looking Malay guy. An Indian chap fully
attired in his un-ironed white dhoti sitting quietly as he
anticipates the arrival of the latest political gossip. Have
the 'roti bakar', some homemade bread grilled
over charcoal which you can later slap on it some butter or
'kaya' , some Malay jam made of eggs, sugar and coconut
milk.

Peep into their kitchen and marvel at how they prepare
the roti bakar in exactly the same way their grandfathers
had done so fifty years ago! It just goes to show that there
are some parts from the past that you can never leave
behind.

Klang is well
known for its "Bak
Kut Teh" (Chinese: 肉骨茶, Pinyin:
Rňu Gŭ Chá), a herbal soup that uses
pork ribs and tenderloins. A kind of
virus (J.E.) struck pigs in the late the
90's that affected pig farmers nationwide
led to the creation of Chick Kut Teh,
that substitutes chicken for pork as it's
halal for consumption for the muslims.

Another famous
Chinese cuisine which is "Chee
Cheong Fun" from Klang can be found in
an older township of Klang which is in "Taman
Eng Ann" (directly opposite the primary
school). This famous Chinese delicacy is the
most sought after for lunch and even dinner
from the stalls constant and supportive
customers ranging from white collar
employees to young students. At present, the
stall operator or owner, Ah Wor, has been
operating his business from a small tiny
stall since the late 80's until now,
currently expanded to a larger spaced store.
It is learnt that he took over the business
from the previous stall operator whom he
also bought over the specific special recipe
from him.

Klang is also
famous for its
banana leaf rice.

It is also
well-known for its seafood at Teluk Gong.
One of the famous delicacies here is the
sweet and sour crab. One of the most popular
restaurants there is called "Coconut Flower"
which is usually packed every night. It is
known for its crabs, prawns and a few other
dishes.

Besides that,
Klang is also famous for its "Rojak
Klang". The most popular Rojak Klang
stall in Klang is Rojak Klang Gani
located at the Emporium Makan. This stall
has been in operations for more than 30
years and still running.

Another famous
delicacy is the "Cendol".
Presently, the owner, Munusamy, of "Cendol
Klang" store, located at the heart of Klang
town centre, has come a long way to where it
is today. Before the store came about, the
sole-proprietor sold cendols along Jalan
Nanas on his mobile-store attached to his
motorcycle and had been so since 1972.
Cendol was gaining popularity over time in
the 90's and it was not until circa 2000
that the sole-proprietor moved into a store
at the very same place where he had been
selling. Rumors had it that he had gathered
enough finances to support two of his
children to study law in
England, which would be seen as an
enormous achievement for a person like
Munusamy who started with nothing over 30
years ago.

Other famous
local delicacies are "Lontong Klang", "Mee
Bandung" and "Mee Jawa", which is similar to
Mee Rebus in
Johor. There are a number of
restaurants/stalls selling Mee Jawa. One of
the famous (and delicious) Mee Jawa is also
located at food court at Emporium Makan
(Opposite to Rojak Klang Gani). It also
sells famous hailam noodle & the owner is
Wak Sarip.

Just say Lontong
in Klang and you will be pointed to the
Emporium Makan. It has been here for 30
years and has accumulated quite a following.
Though time might have taken a toll on its
façade and number of tenants, there are
still a few stalls standing strong. Local
Klang-ites will have the memory of having
blissfull Sunday breakfasts with their
parents (and other children doing the same
with their parents) at these mom & pop
places.
The legacy still holds on till now with
these children all grown up and coming here
with their own friends and children for
Sunday breakfasts. And the taste, is still
as good as it is then. The ambience is
nothing much to shout about but the food
itself will make you sing hymns of praises.
The Lontong here usually runs out by 10am.
Even if they stock up extra, the longest
they can last is 10.15am. What makes the
Lontong here so delicious is that their
Sayur Lodeh is thicker than most and with an
abundance of veggies.

What is sayur Lodeh? Sayur Lodeh is
basically cabbages, carrots, tau foo (beancurd),
long beans, tau foo skin (foo chuk) and
sometimes tempe stewed with santan (coconut
cream) and a dash of turmeric. Most places
will usually have a scrap or two of
vegetables in the Sayur Lodeh, but here with
each serving of Lontong there is a generous
amount of Sayur Lodeh poured lovingly on
top.

A plate of Lontong here usually comprises of
cut cubes of nasi impit (compressed rice),
begedil (spiced potato patties), a whole
piece of deep fried tempe (fermented soy
bean cakes), half boiled egg, a dash of
spicy kuah kacang (peanut gravy) , a scoop
of sayur lodeh and lastly a sprinkle of
serunding (chicken/beef floss). But if you
order the special, there's some extra sotong
for you. The reason this simple dish is so
popular is the sheer generosity of the meal.
Most places only serve a few small pieces of
tempe and sometimes no begedil at all. And
as for sambal sotong (squid), often than not
you only get the ends of the tentacles. But
here the pieces of sotong are cooked
thoroughly resulting in tender and springy
pieces.

Each plate is full of tender loving care,
with every bite sending tingles through your
body. The light creamy texture of the sayur
lodeh mixed together with fragrant kuah
kacang compliments the cool sweet texture of
nasi impit. Eating a plate of this fabulous
Lontong with a hot steaming cup of teh tarik
in the morning is just sublime.

The Lontong here is so popular that it
actually merits a separate line. One,
Lontong dedicated and the other for their
Nasi Lemak. Even if the line seems a bit
daunting at first, don't fret about the wait
as their serving system is very fast and
efficient. The stall opens everyday from 7am
till 11am or until the food finishes,
whichever comes first. A friend of mine who
is not an early bird, will even rise early
to catch this Lontong in action as it is the
best one in Klang. And if someone sacrifices
their sleep for food, you know it's got to
be good!

If Lontong doesn't cut it for you though,
here they also serve Nasi Lemak and Roti
Canai. The Nasi Lemak here can be ordered
with a side of either fried egg, ayam goreng
berempah, sambal sotong, ayam masak merah or
rendang daging or ayam depending what is on
the menu that day. But still, it pales in
comparison to the Lontong. You can also just
browse around, hey its a food emporium after
all. If all else fails, you know exactly
where the Lontong is.

In my opinion, we will see the cities of Kuala Lumpur, Klang,
Seremban, Port Dickson and
historical Melaka merged into one
large metropolis where people and
visitors can enjoy the different
attractions of each city.

Melaka is already the World Heritage City where history lurks
and has flourishing cultures living
together for the past 600 years. She
is a living heritage in her own
right.
For Kuala Lumpur, the modern city
with numerous restaurants and
entertainment centres offer a
different experience to locals and
visitors alike. The Petronas Twin
Towers are the international icon
and symbol which people recognise as
KL, Malaysia. Food and different
cultures prevail.

For Klang and Shah Alam, we have the main port to Malaysia
and near to Port Dickson, we have
the KLIA and LCCT Terminal. All
these airports are located within
the cities of KL, Klang, Seremban
and Melaka which visitors can reach
within 1 hour's drive. For visitors
who want to enjoy the sun and sea,
they can either go to Port Dickson
and Pantai Puteri/Pantai Bidara in
Melaka.

Signs are there as we see development along the North-South
Highway at Bangi, Nilai, Seremban
and Port Dickson. Maybe in the next
25 years, we will see more
development at Labu, Alor Gajah and
surrounding areas towards Melaka.
Time will be our witness.